East Kingdoms Block Party
by Aishuu
Summary: A story series exploring different aspects of the Twelve Kingdoms after the series ends. The series is focused on En, Tai and Kei countries, the kingdoms of the east.
1. Heyho! Let's Go!

**East Kingdoms Block Party**_**  
**_

_by aishuu_

Notes: Unwittingly inspired by both canism and mithrigil, I'm going to be writing Twelve Kingdoms fanfiction based on this month's themes at 31days. The fics are non-sequential, but discuss life after the projected end of the series. And beckerbell deserves blame for egging me on.

* * *

_Hey-ho, let's go!  
_

The invitation comes via a seicho, with a carefully made scroll tied to its tiny leg. It's rare for this type of bird to carry an actual document, since the fragile creature is treasured for its mimicry ability, but some occasions require additional formality. She is immensely curious what kind of tidings it bears.

Youko offers a bit of silver to the bird as a reward for its hard work, carefully unrolling the tiny parchment which bears the formal seal of the Peace King. Due to its small size, it is limited to nothing more than, "An invitation to the Centennial Jubilee of Tai-Ou," but the characters are written in gold lettering.

She quirks her eyebrow at the seicho, waiting for more information. It speaks in the voice of Tai's Taiho himself, a soft, slightly accented male voice that makes her remember Japan, which she left so long ago.

"Youko, we're holding the centennial celebration in a month, and we would be honored to have you, Keiki and some members of your court join us. Please let us know if you plan to attend, and when to expect your arrival – it should be a lot of fun," Taiki said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "The celebration wouldn't be complete without you – Tai still remembers the debt it owes to Kei." The bird blinks, before shutting it eyes to indulge in a well-deserved rest.

Youko is glad that she is listening to this message privately – a couple of the older members of her court, the ones who predate the beginning of her own nine-decade reign, would take offense at the informality Taiki used in his speech. She, though, understands the intimacy of the message, and can't help but feel flattered.

There is only Keiki with her, and she has learned that he will always respect her privacy. She turns her head to him, "Well?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It will be a pleasure to see Taiki and Tai-Ou again," he says sedately, but his lavender eyes are shining with eagerness. It's no secret that he has a special, familial feeling toward the black kirin.

"Will we be able to spare the time?" she asks, for as much as she wants to attend, there are other considerations. Kei needs her, and she can't go running off on a pleasure jaunt just because she wants to.

Keiki doesn't dismiss her concern immediately, and she feels her heart sink. Even though Kei is prospering under her reign, there are constantly problems with the more conservative faction that dislikes her reforms. Leaving her throne for too long is asking for trouble – she learned that forty years ago.

"Maybe I should send a polite refusal," she said, and her shoulders droop. Her responsibilities must come before her desires; it is one of the founding principles set down by the heavens.

Keiki taps a finger against his lips. "You can send a delegation out in a couple of weeks to attend – place Sekki in charge, and send Suzu as well."

She nods, knowing it's a good compromise. "They both get along well with Tai-ou and Taiki," she responds, but Keiki holds up a hand to indicate he has more to say.

"If I take you in my kirin form, we would be able to attend for the first three days of the celebration," he said. "We would have to leave separately from the main delegation, though."

Youko smiles, before reaching out to pick up his hand. Kirin are proud creatures, and don't make such offers lightly. She has only ridden him at times of crisis, times so few that she could count them on one hand. "Your offer honors me," she tells him, hoping he understands how much gratitude she's feeling.

"The honor is mine," he says, and looks away from her eyes. She's under the impression he's blushing.

* * *


	2. Hearts have a past that must be reckoned

**East Kingdoms Block Party**_**  
**_

_by aishuu_

Notes: Unwittingly inspired by both canism and mithrigil, I'm going to be writing Twelve Kingdoms fanfiction based on this month's themes at 31days. The fics are non-sequential, but discuss life after the projected end of the series. And beckerbell deserves blame for egging me on.

* * *

_Hearts have a past that must be reckoned_

It was not in the immediate aftermath that Taiki's trauma finally set in. Instead, it took two months of relative peace for him to realize exactly how horrible things had been.

Life in Hourai seemed like a distant dream, but so too did the his memory of the first time in Tai's palace. The scant few months of pleasurable life he'd known there – after Enki and the Ever King had sorted out his doubts about his oath – seemed a fantasy. Wherever he turned, he could smell the faint remnants of the blood that had been spilled, the echo of the people who would never return.

It was worse during the night, when the palace became quieter and he couldn't distract himself with the work that needed attending to. It was difficult for him to sleep, because a part of him feared that if he shut his eyes, he would wake up to discover himself separated from his master again.

He took to walking through Gyousou's palace at night, checking for signs of trouble. Sanshi and Gouran, recently restored to him, were reassuring presences, but he was still uneasy. Nothing in his life had ever gone smoothly, and he worried this was the calm before an even greater storm.

Each evening his course took him passed Gyousou's bedchamber, and while he paused outside of it, he never made a move to enter. Doing so would infringe greatly on Gyousou's privacy, and he didn't want to be seen as a clingy child. He had grown up, and he needed to stand on his own. His master had no time to indulge in Taiki's own pettiness.

On the tenth night of this routine, he allowed himself a longer moment outside. Greatly daring, he allowed his fingers to brush the wood of the door. He was separated from his master by only a few inches, and it was tempting to steal a peek, just to make sure Gyousou was still there. Their reunion didn't seem real when they were apart.

But he wouldn't want to be so needy. Sighing, he moved to turn away but was stopped when a voice called out for him, "Kouri, come in."

It was not a request, but a subtly stated order.

Taiki didn't spend a moment wondering how Gyousou had known it was him lurking outside. He felt a flush of shame spread across his cheeks, but obeyed the order, coming to stand before his master. Gyousou sat behind the curtained bed, his face shielded by the thin layers of silk.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, master," he said, falling to his knees in obsequiousness. He was horrified by the thought he'd again let Gyousou down.

Gyousou didn't respond immediately, and Taiki looked at his own hands for lack of anywhere else more appropriate to rest his eyes. His master was always so careful to avoid hurting him, even when he deserved to be remonstrated. He worried his lip with his teeth, wishing he'd just stayed in his own room to avoid this scene.

He heard the sound of rustling silk, and looked up to see Gyousou had slid to the edge of the bed and pushed the silk aside so there was no shield between them. He stared into his master's red eyes, the part of him that was kirin frozen by his terrible majesty. "It is I who should be apologizing to you, Kouri," he said.

"Never!" Taiki responded, the word ripped from his lips without a moment for conscious thought.

"Your kindness is almost too sweet to bear," Gyousou said. "I was the adult, and you were the child. What went wrong with Tai is my responsibility, not yours. In the end, it is always the king who must accept the blame when his kingdom starts to go astray. And it is always the kirin who ends up paying the highest price."

Taiki wanted to argue, but could not find any fault in that reasoning. "Master..."

Gyousou's lips twitched in what was probably meant to be a smile. "The last years apart from you have given me much time to reflect on my hubris. I swore many times that if I saw you again, I would let you know how much I cherished your company. There were times when I started to question if Tai was worth it, but then I remembered you. I wanted to see you again, and let your goodness remind me why I fought for this country."

Taiki's throat clenched tightly, rendering him unable to speak. He had yet to confess what had happened to him in Hourai, and how he'd let himself be corrupted. He didn't want his master to know. He was so very ashamed of what he had let happen. His hand trailed up to his forehead, pressing against the sensitive spot where his reclaimed horn rested when he was in kirin form. The pain of his failure was nearly overwhelming.

If he had been knowledgeable like Keiki, or strong like Enki, he would have been able to support Gyousou. He would have recognized the treachery that bloomed in Asen's heart, and been able to defend himself. If he had been a proper kirin, Tai would not have almost fallen.

Gyousou seemed to understand what he wanted to say, and patted the mattress beside him. That was enough of an invitation for Taiki, who rose unsteadily to claim the spot. Feeling Gyousou's warmth beside him, he felt the interior barrier that had walled off his emotions crack. Gyousou was _real_, Taiki was beside him again...

Tears rolled off his face unbidden as he wrapped his arms around his master. Clutching Gyousou's shoulders, he finally allowed himself to mourn for all that had been lost. Gyousou sat stoically, with only the movement of his hand in Taiki's mane signaling that he was not untouched by similar grief.

* * *


	3. I love you when you forget about me

**East Kingdoms Block Party**_**  
**_

_by aishuu_

Notes: Unwittingly inspired by both canism and mithrigil, I'm going to be writing Twelve Kingdoms fanfiction based on this month's themes at 31days. The fics are non-sequential, but discuss life after the projected end of the series.

* * *

_I love you when I forget about me_

Yuka ended up marrying a man named Hirose, who was a few years older than she was. She wasn't sure why they fit together so well, unless it was because of their own inherent oddity.

Hirose was a gentle soul, but tended toward silence. Whenever she saw him staring blankly into the distance, she knew he was dreaming of a different world. Somehow, she doubted she was there with him. That was okay, because he didn't share her own world with him, either. They were both orphans in this world together.

But that didn't mean they couldn't find happiness together. By the time she was twenty-two, she already had two children with a third on the way. She was always grateful for the miracle of pregnancy, watching as her stomach expanded with her unborn child. She remembered that other world, where children grew on trees, and was thankful she had returned.

During her seventh month, she took her daily trip to the market to pick up fresh produce. She pushed the stroller with her sixteen-month-old son inside as she held the hand of of three-year-old daughter. It was a pleasant spring day, and all she felt was contentment. Then someone spoke, and her breath caught.

"Sugimoto-san?"

She turned slowly, trying not to hint how excited she was to hear his voice. "It's Hirose-san now, Takasato-kun," she told him, before she set eyes on him.

She had heard he had vanished the night of a spectacular tsunami, and wondered if he had made it home – as was now apparent. His hair was longer, well past his mid-back, and he had gained another couple inches in height, but it was unmistakably the boy who'd been at the center of so much destruction five years ago. But for all his physical changes, it was the intangible sense around him that was most different. Before, he had a distant aura about him, a sense of foreignness that marked him as not belonging. Now he held himself confidently, like a man who knew who and what he was.

"Call me Taiki," he said, and she knew he had discovered himself.

She bent down to pick up her daughter to keep her from adventuring off. Chasing a stray three-year-old would definitely put a damper on this reunion. "I assume you're just visiting?" she asked.

"I came back to prove I could," he said, raising a hand to brush some hair off his left cheek. "I have demons I needed to confront."

Before he had disappeared, there were many who had believed he was a demon himself. She was one of the few who knew differently. "And have you?"

He smiled, and it was so sad she ached to give him a hug. But that would be invading his private space, and she didn't think they were close enough for her to comfort him. "I've seen what I needed to," he said. "Are these children yours?"

"They are," she said. "Ikuya's in the carriage, and I'm holding onto Youko." Her daughter, recognizing her name, giggled before sticking a thumb in her mouth.

Taiki's eyes widened as he recognized the Hourei name belonging to the Empress of Kei. "They're lovely," he said.

"I promised her that I would have plenty of children for her," Yuka said. She shifted her hip forward to better balance her daughter. "Is Nakajima becoming a good queen?"

"I think so. She's going to be one of the legendary rulers."

She had many questions she wanted to ask him, about how Kei was doing or what had happened to Asano, but she sensed he wasn't going to remain long. "Why are you here, Taiki?"

He paused, a curious kind of stillness coming over his body. It was an inhuman quiet, the kind of watchfulness that was the domain of beasts, not man. Then the moment was gone, and she wondered if she imagined it. "I wanted to tell someone what had happened to me," he said, "so I could close the chapter of Takasato Kaname."

And never return, was the unspoken thought. From the news reports, and what her husband occasionally mentioned, she knew he had gotten into far more trouble than anyone deserved. She respected the courage it must have taken for him to make this journey. She could force her husband to bring home dinner, so scratching the market trip wouldn't be a problem. "Would you like to come to my house, then? We can have tea and catch up."

He nodded slowly. "We can."

She smiled, before handing Youko off to him. "Could you carry her? Surely it's good luck for a child to be around a kirin."

"I would be happy to," he said. He arranged the toddler against his shoulder, cradling her protectively. She wondered how anyone could ever think he was capable of harming someone – gentleness was etched into the fiber of his being.

As she led him back to her home, she wondered why she felt so lonely. When Taiki left, she would be alone... and there would be no hope for news from the other side. She understood, even if he wasn't saying it outright, that he was cutting all ties to his former life.

But then she looked over at him, and felt her heart soften. Whatever had happened to him, he appeared to be content with his current life. She couldn't begrudge him his happiness; silently she offered a prayer up to the gods of his world that he would be able to completely overcome the trauma that living in Japan had inflicted on him. If that meant forgetting about her entirely, she would accept that.

But for now, she had an enjoyable afternoon of gossip to look forward to. She wasn't about to look a gift horse – or kirin – in the mouth.

* * *


	4. Sailing seas and climbing banyans

**East Kingdoms Block Party**_**  
**_

_by aishuu_

Notes: Unwittingly inspired by both canism and mithrigil, I'm going to be writing Twelve Kingdoms fanfiction based on this month's themes at 31days. The fics are non-sequential, but discuss life after the projected end of the series.

* * *

_Sailing seas and climbing banyans_

Enki would tell anyone who cared to listen – and many who didn't – that Shouryuu was a crazy idiot. He said it loudly and often, but that never seemed to have any effect on his master, who just laughed the accusation off.

He sat sulkily on the deck of King En's latest brainstorm, feeling entirely put out about the whole affair. The wind was coming from the northeast, and they were going to have to sail right into it if they were to reach Tai in time for the centennial celebration. Shouryuu, of course, had refused to go by suugu, instead deciding that sailing the royal vessel would be preferable. Enki didn't see the point – it took more time, the ride was a lot more bumpy, and ships were entirely too confined for his liking.

Plus it smelled like fish.

Enki wished he'd been able to just fly himself, but Shouryuu had declared it a mandatory trip for the entire En delegation. "It's a grand adventure, and surely I can't go without my kirin by my side!"

Enki had snorted at that, but was unable to deny the whim of his master. Shouryuu hadn't _made_ it a command, but it was in a kirin's nature to want to please his master. Besides, Shouryuu was enough of a jerk to _make_ it a command if Enki got really feisty about it.

He sighed again, inching forward to avoid the ship's boy, who was trying to scrub the deck. The boy – actually a horse hanjyuu – was uneasy about encroaching on the Holy Kirin's space, but the job needed to be done. "Don't worry about getting me wet – I'm already soaked," Enki said charitably.

The boy looked up, neighing a bit in surprise. "Thank you, my lord!"

Enki smiled, hoping to settle the boy down, while inwardly thinking his own muzzle was much more attractive. "No worries," he said, before turning his head back out to the horizon.

Behind him, he could hear his master's voice, loud and booming, as he talked with the first mate. Shouryuu was in his element, captaining the ship. Never mind that the ship wasn't built at all like the ones Shouryuu had piloted, way back when he'd still lived in Japan. It was a _ship_, and something about it made Shouryuu even more buoyant than usually. He grew up as part of a sailing clan, after all.

The sky started to change colors, painted with the imminent sunset, and Enki sighed to himself.

"If you have to be sick, make sure you lean over the rail." He looked over his shoulder to see Shouryuu standing there with a wicked grin on his too-smug face.

Enki glared back, annoyed. "I'm a kirin, I'm not going to get seasick."

"I was afraid you'd eaten too many peaches before leaving," Shouryuu said, coming to sit on the deck beside Enki. The ship's boy, who was now several arm lengths away, stared at them over his pail, in a bit of awe from being so close to their august presences.

"I'm not going to get fresh fruit for a while, am I?" he retorted. Privately he would admit to being just a bit on the gluttonous side when it came to fresh peaches, but he wasn't going to let his master know that. Shouryuu had enough ammunition for teasing as it was.

"I made sure plenty were packed in the cargo, and we're not traveling so far that they will have a chance to go bad," Shouryuu responded. "Wouldn't want to deprive the poor little kirin."

At least Shouryuu didn't try to ruffle his hair, Enki thought. "Whatever. I don't see why we have to take a boat when we can fly."

"It's a ship," Shouryuu corrected. "It's much too large to be called a boat, stupid horse."

Enki just sniffed, turning his head. "Whatever. Why do you insist on doing this?"

He was expecting another of those teasing answers, the one where Shouryuu pretended to be a wastrel rather than ruler, but was surprised to feel a hand on his shoulder. "Look out there, what do you see?" Shouryuu pointed his free hand out toward the ocean.

Enki stared across the waves. "There's just a lot of water."

Shouryuu clicked his teeth disapprovingly. "Do all kirin have so little in the way of imaginations?"

"What do you see, Shouryuu?"

"I see the possibilities," he said. "I look to the horizon and wonder what's beyond it, and what it will be like to see it."

"We're heading toward Tai. You've seen Tai before."

"Just because something is there one day doesn't mean it will be the same something there the next day. Things change – that's the one constant in all worlds. My people were seafaring folk, and that's what kept them going – they always wanted to see what new thing would appear."

The happiness Shouryuu spoke with made Enki worry. He wondered if Shouryuu wanted to just sail off, and never return to En. "Do you miss sailing that much?"

Shouryuu laughed, and shook his head. "The reason my people sailed was because they needed the trade to improve their lives. Exploration may have been the thrill, but in the end, practicality had to win out. I take what I discover on these trips, and bring back the best to En. That's the way it's supposed to be."

Enki smiled, feeling the warmth of his master's hand permeate his body. Looking out across the ocean, he decided he could live with Shouryuu's love of the sea. "As long as you come home to us, I suppose some sightseeing can't hurt."

This time Shouryuu did ruffle Enki's hair, earning a sharp elbow to the gut in return.

* * *


	5. How Terribly Strange to be Seventy

**East Kingdoms Block Party**_**  
**_

_by aishuu_

* * *

It is to Shoukei that Youko turns whenever it comes to matters of fashion. Despite her reformation, the former princess of Hou is still a bit of a peacock.

Youko has become known for her austere style, rarely deeming it necessary to wear the formal robes of her office. The maids are fluttering around as they arrange the brilliant crimson and gold robes around her, but it is Shoukei who will have the honor of doing her hair. Youko lets her eyes meet Suzu's in the mirror, crossing them slightly to display her annoyance.

Suzu giggles, holding a hand politely in front of her mouth, but Shoukei levels a threatening look at both of them. "Just be patient, Sekishi," she tells the queen. "You'll be pleased with the results."

Youko doubts that, since she's never been one for frippery. The robes are so heavy it's hard to move, and the hair ornaments rub against her scalp unpleasantly. But she can't get out of this – the celebration of her fiftieth year on the throne.

Time passes in Kei differently than her birth world of Hourai. It seems to rush, then stutter and slow down, before racing forward again. The polish silver mirror in front of her shows a confident young woman. She rarely has time to examine herself anymore, and she finds herself fascinated in this rare moment. She can see no marks of its passage on her face, no sign that she's a woman approaching her seventieth year. The mirror shows the same reflection as when she had first ascended, although she likes to think her eyes hold wisdom.

Sometimes she's not sure if the immortality granted is such a good thing. In her palace, she is surrounded by unchanging advisors, all frozen at the moment they became Sen-nin. Time is a hard thing to keep track of, since each day rolls into the next with little to differentiate from the prior.

Every now and then, though, she thinks on what her life would have been like if Keiki had never come for her. If she had lived in Hourai, she would be an old woman by now, likely married with plenty of children and grandchildren. Sometimes she aches for that simpler life, but it is not her nature to daydream. Becoming the Glory King has been an honor, and she realizes she wouldn't change her fate for anything. She loves Kei, and its citizens are her children.

But she sometimes wonders, anyway.

Her parents are long dead. She supposes she could ask Enki to check up on what had happened to them in his next trip to Hourai, but she thinks it is better not to know for sure what happened to them. She has enough guilt toward them; if their lives had gone in a horrible direction, she was partly to blame. And the last thing she needed to do was accept another burden – trying to rule Kei well is enough of a task.

Youko knows the trials of a ruler are cyclical – she and Keiki have survived several earlier challenges, but she knows another one is due. She has discussed the matter with Shouryuu and Enki several times, and has read enough history to understand how things work. Toward the end of what would have been a ruler's natural lifespan, a threat to their governance will arise. She hopes it's one that won't end in too much death and destruction, but must be prepared for all possibilities.

She's not aware she's biting her lip until Shoukei chides her for it. "I know you refuse to wear make-up, but please don't do damage to your face!"

"Heavy thoughts, your majesty?" Suzu says, tilting her head. She is perched in a seat about two arms widths away, idly toying with the tip of her long ponytail. Shoukei plans on doing her hair next, no matter how much Suzu would protest.

"I was just thinking about what Japan was like now," Youko replies, hiding part of the truth. Grief is a private thing, and didn't need to be shared when doing so would benefit no one. "I doubt I would recognize the place."

"It's very likely," Suzu agreed. She swung a foot idly. "I certainly don't recognize the Wa you speak of."

Youko has tried to explain the technology of her world several times in the past, but it's only Enki and Taiki who are able to understand what she's referring to. Sometimes she misses television and the Internet, Ipods and telephones, but she's learned to let that stuff go. Occasionally she wonders if her memories haven't been distorted by the passage of time.

Shoukei arranges the final hair ornament, before sitting back and nodding approvingly. "You look lovely, Kei-ou," she says, folding her hands modestly inside her own fine silk robe.

"I'll take your word on it," Youko replies. She rises to her feet, refraining from commenting on how she hated the whole outfit.

Her moment of quiet reflection is at its end – soon Keiki will be arriving to escort her to the ceremony, and she has to be properly focused on her duties. While speculating about the past is irresistible, in the end, she must set her eyes on the future.


	6. They let him go wrong out of kindness

**East Kingdoms Block Party**_**  
**_

_by aishuu_

* * *

He supposed he always knew it would come down to this.

Taking on someone like Gyousou was nearly an impossible task, but Asen wasn't the kind of man to back away from things that were difficult. He and Gyousou had that in common. He and Gyousou had a lot in common, actually.

Sometimes he wondered what it would have been like, to receive Taiki's vow of loyalty. He should have been the one, had the heavens truly intended to select the ruler who understood Tai's needs. The process to select a king was clearly flawed, since most new kings fell within ten years of taking the throne. All he had to do was look at neighboring Kei for proof.

And Gyousou clearly wasn't what the kingdom needed. The new Peace King wasn't worthy of his name – he was so military in demeanor that he couldn't begin to understand the nuances of politics. He expected Tai's government to run with the efficiency of an army, and didn't have the patience to realize why that couldn't happen immediately. Asen had watched, and Asen had seen the upcoming trouble before it could completely come to a boil.

It would be better for Tai if a new king could be found before Gyousou had time to lay the ground for his own doom. Better a swift cut than a gradual decline in ruin.

So he had tried to overthrow Gyousou, going so far as to strike at the heart of his power – the kirin. He had severed the horn from Taiki's head, but before he could deliver the fatal blow, Taiki had summoned a mieshoku to bear him away. Maybe that was a good thing – he didn't want to hurt the boy, not really. Taiki was such a sweet child.

Asen had kept that silvery horn with him, though, fearing the power it contained. It didn't vanish, which meant Taiki's contract with his shirei was still binding – and that Taiki was still alive. And that meant Gyousou might still be out there. He had nightmares about what Gyousou would do when he caught up with him. Gyousou was not merciful; he was definitely one of those rulers who needed the tempering of a kirin's compassion. In a way, Asen might have signed his own death warrant by raising his hand against Taiki.

But in the end, it wasn't Gyousou who caught up with him – it was Taiki, accompanied by the one-armed general Risai.

One evening he had returned to his tent, only to feel an arm seize him, and a blade put to his throat. There were at least three men behind him, but it was the woman in front that he recognized. "Risai," he spat, seeing the last leader of the formal resistance against him. How the intruders had managed to get passed the guards was a mystery to him, but the camp was curiously still.

She nodded, but instead of speaking, gestured for someone behind her to step forward. When he saw who it was, he realized that he had lost the war.

Despite the changes time had wrought, he recognized the youth immediately. The young man was a slender thing, dressed in clothes fit for a merchant – long pants and tunic, but his hair was cut far too short, with barely a finger width's of growth. But even without a proper mane, there was no denying that this was Taiki.

"Why?" Taiki asked simply. His voice was deeper than its former childish treble, but it still contained the soft concern that marked him as a true kirin.

There were many ways Asen could have responded to that, many reasons for the sins he had committed. But now, faced with the holy incarnation of the people's will, he found he couldn't lie. Not anymore. He'd been lying to himself for far too long.

"Because I was jealous," he said, finally admitting what his true motivation had been.

"Gyousou-sama was happy to share his good fortune with his friends," Taiki said, and there was no condemnation in his voice, just confusion.

There was the crux of the matter. Asen hadn't been able to settle for less than everything; like Gyousou, he had a terrifying ambition. But Gyousou had been able to step back when he thought Taiki wouldn't choose him – Asen hadn't. And that was why he was unworthy to rule.

He looked over his shoulder, trying to see who was holding the touki weapon to his throat. Risai made another twitch of her hands, and her men stepped away from him. "You have many sins to answer for, Asen," she said, "but we are not fit to judge you. When Gyousou returns, it will be up to him to decide your fate."

"I'm sure if you sit down and talk through your problems, Gyousou-sama will be able to address your concerns," Taiki said.

He would have preferred to face Gyousou and his rage, rather than see Taiki's forgiving optimism. It would be easier to deal with someone who wasn't so pure of heart, who wouldn't hesitate to condemn him. Of all the sins he had committed, his attack on the kokki was the most heinous.

"I'm sorry," he said, before moving to prostrate himself before the Taiho.

"I'm sorry, too," Taiki said. Asen heard the shift of movement, and a touch on his shoulder made him look up. Taiki crouched next to him, their faces inches apart. "If I had been a better Taiho, maybe it wouldn't have come to this."

Asen shut his eyes, trying to fight back the tears Taiki's kindness made him want to shed. Of them all, Taiki had been the only true innocent.

There was no way to atone for his wrongs, but Asen had to make the attempt. Moving slowly so no archer would decide he was a threat – and Risai was a good enough general to have a couple hidden out of sight – he went to his pack and withdrew the manifestation of his crimes. He handed the horn over, and Taiki took it with a shaking hand. Amazingly, the horn started to glow, and Taiki gasped softly.

Asen refused to turn his head, his eyes watering from looking at the brilliant light that Taiki was becoming. The boy blurred, and then his clothes fell away.

In front of him is a mature kokki. Its mane was ridiculously short, but Asen didn't feel like laughing as he looked into its silvery eyes. The horn sat upon his brow once again, like it had never been severed. The kirin nodded his head once, before turning his back on Asen.

Asen couldn't stop himself from following the Taiho out the tent, watching as the magnificent kokki of Tai took to the skies, in search of his master. As Taiki charged across the heavens, Asen couldn't help but be awed.

* * *

**(Post a n**


	7. The only constant is accelerating change

**East Kingdoms Block Party  
**

_by aishuu_

* * *

Rokuta wasn't sure what drew him to Hourai, time and time again. It had been more than five hundred years since he could call himself a citizen of Wa. He had no connection to this vicious land that had eaten and spit him out centuries ago.

But a couple times a year, he found himself summoning a mieshoku, and traveling to the Other Place. He had fallen into the habit of making those trips after Taiki had been lost – both times – and though he had decreased the frequency now, he knew he would never completely stop.

There was something special about Hourai, he thought as he wove his way through the over-crowded streets of Edo – Tokyo, now. There were so many people that he couldn't help but feel claustrophobia. As a kirin, he was supposed to love purity, and that was true to some extent. But he couldn't keep away from this polluted world, where so much was happening that he feared if he blinked, he would miss something vital.

Privately, he could admit that while he loved the country Shouryuu was creating in En, its pastoral nature was a bit on the dull side. He sometimes wondered if stagnation would prove to be the end of their rule, a gradual slide from the way as Shouryuu lost his mandate. That would be preferable to the other option – Shouryuu at heart was a fighter, and there was always the possibility he would try to extend his arm too far.

But such depressing thoughts weren't suited for this trip, where he had no major plans except a bit of shopping. He looked at the list, written on fine paper. Both Sekishi and Taiki had finally acceded to his offer to bring them gifts from their home world. Taiki had asked for paints and brushes which weren't available in Tai; Sekishi had asked for several novels, since she enjoyed reading but still couldn't understand the language of the Twelve Kingdoms enough to do so for pleasure. He planned on picking Shouryuu up some fine sake, since encouraging his master to get drunk was one way to ensure he didn't wander away from the palace for a bit.

He would never let Shouryuu know how difficult it was for him to purchase alcohol, since his human form looked like a prepubescent boy. He didn't want his master to think Rokuta was going out of his way for him.

After bartering some jewelry at a nearby pawn shop – and getting horribly ripped off due to his apparent age – he wandered to a nearby crafts store to pick up the acrylic paints Taiki had been persuaded into requesting (after much, much nagging from Rokuta). He bought a small set, one which would fit into the backpack he wore, and then selected a variety of high-quality brushes as well.

The next store was more difficult, because he didn't have a clue what kind of novels Sekishi would enjoy. He'd never been one of reading, finding it a chore. Thankfully, a store clerk noticed his distress. The middle-aged woman smiled at him kindly, "Are you looking for something?"

"I want to get some books for my 'neechan," he replied, knowing that Shouryuu would find that statement hilarious. It wasn't honest, but Rokuta figured a lie was forgivable given the circumstances.

"What does she like to read? Fiction, nonfiction? Do you know her favorite writers?"

Feeling very out of his depth, he shrugged. "I think she likes fiction," he said. "Uplifting stories, as well as the classics." That would be a good place to start – he'd ask Sekishi for more specifics the next time.

The woman helped him select an array of six books, which weighed his bag down as he shifted it back onto his shoulders. Then the woman actually ruffled his hair, and it was all he can do to keep from slapping her hand away. She was a nice lady, and there was no way she could know how offensive the brush of her touch against his forehead was.

The next stop was the one he was truly loathing, the liquor store. Outside, he found exactly what he needed: a man wearing a slightly dirty clothes, who is obviously down on his luck. He talked to the man about purchasing some sake, and the man agreed without asking any questions.

Rokuta leaned against the wall for an uncomfortable five minutes for the man to return. Wordlessly he is handed a bottle wrapped in a brown bag, and after taking a peek inside, he offered the man most of his remaining cash. After stowing it in the front pocket of the backpack, he was almost ready to leave for En.

Only after he finished shopping for everyone else did he give into the temptation to find what he desired for himself. Several bars of Belgium chocolate joined his other purchases in the backpack, along with boxes of strawberry pocky and a couple packets of hard candy. Some changes Hourai underwent weren't bad, he realized. Any world that had such a variety of sweets surely wasn't all bad.


	8. You know that ghost is me

**East Kingdoms Block Party  
**

_by aishuu_

* * *

Kenrou Shinkun had become a revered god without even trying.

When Kouya had fled En, he hadn't had a particular thought of where to go, except that the Yellow Sea was where the youma lived. Rokuta would be safer there; it was Kouya who would become the outcast in another's land.

Life in the Yellow Sea was difficult, and not for the faint of heart. But he had been an orphan his entire childhood, and as long as Rokuta was with him, he wasn't alone.

Sometimes he wasn't sure if he should be glad of his Sen-nin status or not. His essential immortality ensured he would be able to survive most traumas, but it didn't guarantee the life he was enjoying would be pleasant. Sen-nin could still feel the bitterness of a cold night, or the gnawing ache of hunger.

But as time passed, he began to find a balance. He and Rokuta became skilled hunters, filling their bellies every evening. And as the pain of hunger was denied, he found himself speaking to Rokuta, discussing the weather or musing on the best path to their next resting area. His voice was rusty from disuse, but he wanted to make sure he didn't forget how to talk. There was that "someday" that the Ever King had promised him, a time when En would be a place that could welcome him and Rokuta. He dreamed of that time, when people would welcome their company.

For now, though, he lived like a shadow, forgotten by the rest of the world. Perhaps he was going a little mad; some might claim he'd always been insane.

He and Rokuta learned the terrain, and years went by practically unmarked. The one time he cared to acknowledge was the sunrise, because that meant the land was just a bit safer, and he could sleep. He and Rokuta became nocturnal, because that was the time when most of the youma were out hunting and they had to be on their guard.

They could have existed like that forever, had they not come upon the small traveling party. It was a day in the spring, and he and Rokuta were setting up their camp for the day when suddenly the tenken moved, raising his head up at some sign beyond human senses.

Without speaking – because he and Rokuta didn't need to – he climbed onto the youma's back. Rokuta took off, flying at incredible speeds over a distance that would have taken a man days to traverse alone. Then the tenken landed on an outcrop of ledge, and Kouya looked down.

A group of travelers had set up their own tents in a neat circle. The group was clearly on a shouzan, and he idly wished he knew what kingdom they were from – anything but En. He glanced over at Rokuta, wondering if he was going to have to stop him from trying to eat the travelers. Rokuta blinked, and Kouya looked out again, his night-trained eyes catching the circling kiki.

The dog-like youma was circling the camp, drawing in tighter and tighter circles. Kouya nibbled his lip, trying to decide what to do. It had been over a decade since he had seen another human, but then he hadn't particularly liked his own kind. He was used to their cruelty, and didn't feel he owed them anything.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked Rokuta.

The tenken blinked its iris-less eyes slowly, but offered no other sign of what it was thinking.

He slid off Rokuta's back, sitting down so his legs dangled over the edge. Unable to decide what to do, he did nothing as the kiki was spotted by the two watching guards. Torches were lit as cries of warning were sounded.

He watched as the camp swarmed into action, facing the dangerous beast. A couple of guards wearing mediocre swords were the first to fall, caught by the beast's fierce teeth. An archer managed to land a shot in the kiki's haunches, but was rewarded only with his own gory death as the youma retaliated.

Kouya watched blankly. He'd seen many people die by youma – he himself had fed people to Rokuta. Death was a natural part of life, where the strong fed off the weak.

Five were down, but the beast was finally cornered by the surviving guards. Kouya tapped his fingers against the solid earth, noting that two more kiki were going to counteract. Dog-like youma usually hunted in packs, but none of the humans below seemed aware of the threat lurking just beyond their fire's light.

"Do you want me to save the kiki? Or the travelers?" he asked, his eyes still fastened on the scene. He really didn't care which side won – both were savages.

But then he heard an unexpected cry, the sound of a babe yelling for his father.

Kouya's body went rigid. There was a child down there, likely hiding in one of the tents. An innocent.

Shutting his eyes, he saw the memory of a golden head of hair, and a warm smile flash through his mind. More than anything, Kouya regretted betraying the true friendship the kirin of En had unhesitatingly offered him. He had used the kirin's compassion against him, threatening the life of a babe to make Enki follow his demands.

What would the _original_ Rokuta think of this situation?

The answer wasn't hard. He would want Kouya to show compassion.

"Come, Rokuta," he said, climbing back onto the tenken's back.

It took seconds for Rokuta to fly to the ravaged camp. As the tenken lowered himself to the ground, the kiki looked up and snarled... before slinking away into the woods. A tenken was more powerful, and the other youma decided to leave the spoils without fighting.

The camp seemed to freeze in that moment of time, with none of the survivors speaking. Kouya stared back at them, unsure what to do. Since they weren't screaming in terror, they probably thought Rokuta was youjyuu. He didn't plan to enlighten them.

Finally a middle-aged woman stepped forward, one dressed in the fine robes of a court official. "Thank you, my lord," she said, before falling to her knees in respectful prostration.

The other survivors – those that weren't wounded – followed suit. It was a pleasing sight, he thought, seeing the respect being offered to him and Rokuta. But it was also foolhardy of them to have their eyes on the ground, unable to notice possible threats. It wasn't unheard of for youma to take human form – he could very well be one, for all they knew.

"Rise, please," he said, and she shifted her head upwards. He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Are you on shouzan?" she asked.

"No," he replied shortly, before deciding an additional explanation was needed. "I live out here."

There were murmurs of surprise from several of the party's members. The woman nodded abruptly, like she understood something the rest of them were missing. "We've had several of our guards wounded and killed in this attack, and Mount Hou is still a long ways away. Would you grant us your protection?"

The idea was startling, and for a second he was tempted to leave this group to their fate... but there had been a child among there number. If he and Rokuta left, the youma would undoubtedly return.

He would never be able to show Enki his face if he let these people die when he could stop it. The Ever King had promised him a peaceful land, but Kouya couldn't let the giving be all one-sided. There were good people in the world, he knew, and Kouya wanted to be one of them.

"I'll make sure you arrive safely," he agreed.

And with that one decision, he took the first step toward godhood.


	9. She was my first she was my last

**East Kingsdom Block Party**_  
_

_by aishuu_

_Prompt: She was my first, she was my last, she was my friend until the end  
_

* * *

He finished his studies at the En Daigaku within three years, having been hampered mainly by the requirements of horsemanship and archery. But eventually his professors proclaimed his skill set complete, and it was time for him to decide the next step in the course of his life.

Rakushun was not surprised to receive an invitation to become a Sen-nin in En, but it wasn't the offer he wanted to accept. En was a wonderful country, and while he was very fond of Enki and had an amused respect for the Ever King, it wasn't where he wanted to live forever.

He was honored by Enki's and En-ou's wish, and couldn't dismiss it out of hand. Enki, who had hand-delivered the scroll offering him the position, had smiled understandingly as he had tried to stall for time, just in case she asked for him.

"Consider it a fall-back option. A mind like yours would be a credit to any of the kingdoms," he had said, winking. "I'm sure you're going to be able to do whatever you want."

Rakushun wasn't sure if he was horribly embarrassed or not by Enki's playful comment. He was not an overly proud creature, and didn't want to presume upon the ties of friendship; but more than anything, he wanted to be by her side.

If someone had asked him, before he met Youko what his life would have been like, he would have expressed modest hopes of traveling to En and perhaps finding a job. Hanjyuu weren't welcome in Kou; he was nearly stifling under the regime, but he hadn't wanted to be foolish and chase after an impossible dream. He wished to continue his studies, but the blockades in front of him were nearly insurmountable.

But after taking Youko into his home, the path before him became clear. For the first time in his life, he felt a true kinship for another soul – intrigued by her perspectives on the world as he taught her the basics of society the citizens never thought of. By breaking down the structures of his world, he was able to understand the larger picture. And with her, he finally made the commitment to travel to En where things might be better.

And somewhere during that journey she'd become his most precious friend.

He was more aware than she how far above his station she had risen, though. Youko used him as her confidant, and he was selfishly glad she remained in contact. But he worried, too; in the end, a ruler had only their kirin to rely on, not their friends. He didn't want her to become weak because of their friendship.

As he packed up the room he'd been living in for the past couple years, he looked at the nearly-empty bag of silver that was meant to feed the seichou that carried their letters. Not a week went by when she didn't write him, verbally working out her confusion and course as she spoke to him.

It took a week, but the offer he'd been waiting for arrived via the same seichou that regularly relaid messages. There was no prestigious delivery, no attempt to curry his favor, just a heartfelt request.

The bird spoke in Youko's familiar tones, but to his sharp ears, she sounded a bit shy. "I know you've lived in En for several years now, and it's probably your home, but I would be very honored if you decided Kei would be your new home. I would like you by my side."

If he'd been in human form, his face would have won a brilliant blush. He still remembered the feel of her arms as she joyously hugged him.

He went immediately to Enki, and submitted his regrets. "You've been wonderful kind to me, but I would like to see how Sekishi develops Kei," he said.

"It's your era, too. It's natural you should want to be there." Enki had offered playfully in return, obviously expecting Rakushun's decision. "I'd like to give you Keito to speed you on your way. You've been a very good friend to En, and want you to go with our blessings."

The gift of a suugu was a princely one, and Rakushun had been properly grateful. He held his hands in front of his chest and bowed respectfully. "Your kindness is appreciated."

"Well, you're going to need it. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for you to travel – perhaps even become Kei's ambassador to En," he said. "It's only fitting that I should try to get in your good graces as soon as possible."

They had both laughed at that. Rakushun couldn't help but be grateful for the friends he had made – and it all started with her.

In the fourth year of the Sekiraku, Chou Sei moved to Gyouten to serve the Glory King. He would eventually rise to the position of Chousai, serving one of the greatest queens the kingdom ever knew.


End file.
